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Lawyer Fraud — Don’t Be Fooled!

To help Ontario lawyers avoid malpractice claims, LAWPRO maintains a list of names used in frauds that target lawyers. These frauds masquerade as legitimate legal matters and they target lawyers in many areas of practice. They are usually built on the premise of the lawyer receiving a payment (e.g. a debt collection, a loan or equipment purchase), which comes in the form of a fake cheque or bank draft. The fraudster client then convinces the lawyer to disburse funds from his or her trust account. They can be very sophisticated and the documents provided can look like the documents you would get on a legitimate matter.

The Law Society of BC’s Lawyer Indemnity Fund also maintains a list of names associated with suspected frauds.

If you have been the target of a fraud, you are invited to report the details to us so that we may assist other lawyers avoid being victimized.

Have a fraud to report? See Report a Fraud.

Report a Fraud

Browse Fraud Categories

Recent Fraud Warnings

Commercial equipment purchase scam using the names Philips Giovanni and Mega Equipment & Dredging

by FraudInfo

A firm in Texas and one in Ontario have notified us that they received an email from the purported Philips Giovanni of Mega Equipment & Dredging looking to retain them with regards to making a large commercial purchase. This appears to be a bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of… Read More »

Categories: Equipment / Inventory Purchase Fraud

Commercial debt collection scam using the name Yasuo Matsuura of Marubeni-Itouchu Steel

by FraudInfo

Firms in New Jersey and Maryland notified us that they received an email from the purported Yasuo Matsuura of Marubeni-Itochu Steel looking to retain them with regards to a commercial debt collection. This appears to be a bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a lawyer. In this scam lawyers… Read More »

Categories: Debt Collection Fraud

Commercial equipment purchase scam using the names Yan Gilbert Hong and JuLong Dredging & Mining Machinery

by FraudInfo

Firms in Ontario and BC have notified us that they received an email from the purported Yan Gilbert Hong of JuLong Dredging & Mining Machinery looking to retain them with regards to making a large commercial purchase. This appears to be a bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a… Read More »

Categories: Equipment / Inventory Purchase Fraud

Commercial equipment purchase scam using the name Fidelity Equipment and multiple contact names

by FraudInfo

Several Ontario firm notified us that they received emails from a number of names purporting to represent Fidelity Equipment Ltd and looking to retain them with regards to making a large commercial purchase. The names and associated emails are: John Sigfrid: [email protected] Julius Kent: [email protected] Dennis Edgar: [email protected] David Halvar: [email protected] Martins Tekla [email protected] This… Read More »

Categories: Equipment / Inventory Purchase Fraud

Commercial equipment purchase scam using the names William Tore and Fidelity Equipment Ltd

by FraudInfo

An Ontario firm notified us that they received an email from the purported William Tore and Fidelity Equipment Ltd looking to retain them with regards to making a large commercial purchase. This appears to be a bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a lawyer. In this scam lawyers will… Read More »

Categories: Equipment / Inventory Purchase Fraud

Land Acknowledgement

The offices of LAWPRO are located on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishnabeg, Chippewa, Haudenosaunee and Wendat peoples. Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. LAWPRO respects and acknowledges the histories, languages, knowledge systems, and cultures of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit nations.

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